Monday, April 18, 2022

Dear {First Name},

Last week, I joined Senator Mark Warner, my board colleague, Supervisor James Walkinshaw, and other local leaders to discuss affordable housing in Fairfax County.

Senator Warner highlighted the $1.5 million in Congressional Directed Spending that he secured to expand affordable housing units in Fairfax County.

Thank you Senator Mark Warner for meeting with us and sharing your progress at the Federal level on behalf of Fairfax County families.

📸 Photo courtesy of Stephen Keat stephenkeat@hotmail.com

Also, I spoke at the 2022 Economic Outlook Summit hosted by the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce and the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation (SFDC). 

I shared with attendees an update on our new workforce development center called the W.I.S.H. (Workforce Innovation Skills Hub) and how it will support emerging technologies in our district. You can read more about the summit in the news section or here https://onthemove.town.news/g/mount-vernon-va/n/74081/lusk-aims-leverage-emerging-technology-partnerships-transform-lives

I look forward to sharing more information on the W.I.S.H. in the coming weeks.

1. Supervisor Lusk in the News 
2. Smart City Challenge
3. Bode Technology's Investment into Fairfax County
4. Community Post: Melwood Summer Camp is Hiring Staff
5. FCPS Hall of Fame
6. Volunteer Fairfax: Lee District Community Champion
7. Fairfax County Announces 2022 Paving and Restriping Meetings
8. DMV Connect at the Fairfax County Government Center
9. Community Post: Spring & Summer Acting Camps & Classes
10. Community Sensory Day
11. COVID-19 Resources

Supervisor Lusk in the News

Supervisor Lusk speaking at the 2022 Economic Development Summit on April 7

(Photo courtesy of Stephen Keat)

Supervisor Lusk aims to leverage emerging technology partnerships to transform lives:

https://onthemove.town.news/g/mount-vernon-va/n/74081/lusk-aims-leverage-emerging-technology-partnerships-transform-lives

While Lusk concluded that the corridor couldn’t easily draw companies in certain industries like software development, he saw an opportunity for growth in another area: emerging technologies. With that in mind, the newly elected supervisor set out in 2020 to achieve three goals: create a center on Richmond Highway focused on innovation and technology; identify an operator to run it; and find funding for it.

“It’s taken two years, but we’ve done all three of those things,” said Lusk.

The Workforce Innovation Skills Hub (WISH), part of the new community center in Lee District and tentatively scheduled to open in the June/July 2022 time frame, is designed to enable members of the local community to upskill into higher paying jobs, so they can afford health care, homes and college. Noting that many residents of the area around the community center – where the average income is reportedly $51K/year compared to the county-wide average of $124K – were some of the first to lose their jobs in the retail, leisure and hospitality industries during the pandemic, Lusk said that the county has a responsibility to help these individuals “who have been suffering for many, many years.”

As such, Lusk’s team is negotiating with companies like Amazon and Dominion Energy, as well as companies in the building trades, to provide apprenticeship training and employment opportunities for WISH participants. While Amazon will enable trainees to help construct or manage a new data center, Dominion Energy has proposed opening up opportunities for line maintenance workers and for the operations and maintenance of its new wind and hydro program.

Smart City Challenge

Regional Challenges Need Smart Solutions!

Do you have a solution to make our region smarter, more livable, resilient, and sustainable for all our residents?

If the answer is YES, we invite you to join the Smart Cities 2022 Challenge. We are looking for individuals or teams to come together over a six-week period, from May 2 – June 16, 2022 , to create innovative solution in the areas of transportation, health, water, and carbon neutrality, and we are especially excited to see solutions from underrepresented founders.

Cash and in-kind prizes will be awarded, including pilot project opportunities, participation in the Smart City Works accelerator, membership in Refraction, and Amazon Web Services credits. Prizes, including a chance to pilot a project with Fairfax County, will be awarded based on innovation, equity and inclusivity, practicality of application and regional impact, as outlined in the judging criteria.

Bring your solution to the table and register today! http://bit.ly/scc22

Bode Technology's investment into Fairfax County

Bode Technology, one of the world's leading providers of forensic services, will invest $2 million to expand its DNA testing services lab in Fairfax County to support increased customer demand. The company will hire additional senior and entry-level laboratory technicians, information technology and engineering professionals, and other business support roles, creating more than 70 new jobs.

As an internationally recognized leader in DNA analysis, Bode’s commitment to our community is a textbook example of the benefits of the rich ecosystem of cutting-edge technology companies that choose to base their operations here, especially through its partnership with the Fairfax County Police Department.

Read the full press statement here: https://www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/bode-technology-to-expand-forensics-services-operations-in-fairfax-county-create-more-than-70-new-jobs/?utm_content=204387634&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-19560190

Community Post: Melwood Summer Camp is Hiring Staff

I am happy to share that Melwood, our newly named Workforce Innovation Skills Hub (W.I.S.H.) operator, is hiring Summer camp counselors.

More information: https://melwood.org/jobs/

FCPS Hall of Fame

Educate Fairfax is delighted to announce the inaugural FCPS Hall of Fame, established to honor distinguished alumni of Fairfax County Public Schools.

Educate Fairfax, its staff and board, believes that our vibrant and successful school system contributes to a great quality of life here in Fairfax County. By highlighting its amazing graduates, we are drawing the connection that tomorrow’s stellar community leaders, business owners, and servant leaders are currently students in our schools right now.

Educate Fairfax is here to make sure all of them have a path to success.

This year’s class of Hall of Fame inductees include a life-long diplomat, a war hero, entrepreneurs, a lawyer and inventor, a young published author and filmmaker, an Olympic athlete, and one of FCPS’s leadership team!

The celebration will be May 4, and tickets are available. To find out more information about the winners and how to purchase tickets, please visit the Educate Fairfax website. 

Volunteer Fairfax: Lee District Community Champion

Congratulations, Carla Claure, on being this year's Lee District Community Champion.

Carla's exceptional leadership during the COVID-19 Pandemic has helped community members with vital basic needs such as food, vaccines, and more. Carla has become a role model for her community by making sure that the voice and needs of the LatinX community are heard. Carla’s countless hours of volunteer work have impacted our residents in an immeasurable, positive way.

Learn more about Carla here: https://www.volunteerfairfax.org/copy-lee-district-community-champion/

Carla and other community champions will be recognized at the Volunteer Fairfax 2022 Volunteer Service Awards on Wednesday, April 20th, at 10 am.

Register for the virtual event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-30th-annual-fairfax-county-volunteer-service-awards-virtual-event-tickets-302753713507

Fairfax County Announces 2022 Paving and Restriping Meetings

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation will host a series of virtual meetings this month to present paving and restriping plans across the County for 2022. The meetings will be held in coordination with the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Lee, Mount Vernon, and Springfield's meeting will be held on April 19 at 7 p.m.

Call in: 571-429-5982; ID: 652 144 956#

Video meeting link: will be provided shortly.

Each meeting will feature a formal presentation followed by time for questions and comments.

For residents who cannot attend the meetings, a video recording of each event will be available on the paving and restriping webpages, and feedback may be submitted online up to two weeks after the meeting date.

Overall, the paving and restriping program improves roads in Fairfax County each year through maintenance and repaving. At the same time, state and county agencies coordinate restriping efforts to address safety issues for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians through the creation of bike lanes, parking lanes, crosswalks, and more.

More information on the Paving and Restriping Program: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/2022-paving-and-restriping-program

Link to 2022 VDOT Statewide Paving Status Map: https://vdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=fbf86e85fdcb43e482432f41ddbb51c7

DMV Connect at the Fairfax County Government Center

DMV Connect will be at the Fairfax County Government Center in the South Atrium on the 1^st Floor on April 20 & 21, 2022. This event is by appointment only. Residents can schedule an appointment online at: https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/general/#csc/mcscalendar.asp.

Available services include:

• Driver's licenses and ID cards
• Titles and registrations *
• License plates
• Driver transcripts
• Disabled parking placards or plates
• Address changes
• E-ZPass transponders
• Hunting and fishing licenses

* DMV Connect can process title transactions but cannot print titles. Titles processed by DMV Connect will be mailed to customers.

Community Post: Spring and Summer Acting Camps and Classes

Traveling Players presents acting classes & camps for students in grades 3-12!

• Spring Classes
• In Person – Build Acting Skills & New Friendships!
• Virtual – Improv D&D
• Summer Camps 
• Day Camp @ Tysons Corner Center
• Sleepaway Camps & Acting Conservatories by audition in Leesburg
• Auditions April 23 & 24

NEXT UP:

Live Far Away? Audition Virtually! Rolling through May 25

Spring Classes! Start April 24

Traveling Players Ensemble

703-987-1712

Great Theatre in the Great Outdoors

www.travelingplayers.org

Community Sensory Day